The Road to Freedom
by bloodytears87
Summary: His heritage discovered at a younger age, Ace is taken from Dawn Island by the government. After years in slavery he's finally been given a chance to obtain his freedom. Take Whitebeards head. Ace doesn't care if it's a fools mission, he'll succeed or die trying, Luffy's own freedom depends on it. Rated M for mature themes. warnings: possible yaoi, implied rape, mentions of abuse
1. Prologue

Prologue

" _Portgas D. Ace," the man said in a condescending manner. Ace bristled at the tone. He hated Marines and he had a small idea of why this man was here. "It took us years to find you and here you are out in the open, right under out noses and being taken care of by one of our own."_

" _That stupid ji-ji doesn't take care of me," Ace protested. As much as he hated Garp and his ways he wasn't going to sell out his own grandfather._

" _Even so, he knew you were here," the man said. Ace looked at him with pure hate in his eyes. "I'd be happy to just kill you now, however Admiral Sengoku would like you to be brought in alive. I guess he has plans for you boy."_

" _And you think I'm just gonna let you take me away?" Ace said defiantly, though he knew this man had him backed into a corner._

 _He was already injured pretty badly from just trying to run away. He knew well that at fourteen he was no match for this vice- admiral in front of him but he also knew he would rather die then allow them to capture him. He wasn't going to spend his life rotting away in Impel Down like these stupid Marines most likely planned._

 _Taking a fighting stance Ace readied himself for anther attack. He had already made sure that Luffy was well hidden and far away from there, he had nothing to lose in this battle._

 _At least that's what he had thought back then…_

Ace jerked away, a cold sweat covering his body. He had that dream again. It had already been a little over three years since that day. He had thought there was nothing they could take from him, that nothing they did would be worse then rotting in Impel Down. Oh how wrong he had been. They took the one thing he fought so hard to keep. His freedom. They had stripped it from him in the most degrading way possible and there was nothing he could have done to stop it. Sengoku had strapped a bomb collar around his neck, branded him on the back and made him a slave.

With those two simple actions, Ace's freedom was forever out of his reach. The only thing that kept him from losing himself completely was when Garp was allowed to see him and trained him in secret. The old man hadn't given up on him. He told him how Luffy was doing and told him that one day he would get out of this mess. For the first three weeks Garp had done nothing but apologized. For what Ace wasn't exactly sure but he figured it was something to do with him not being able to protect him from the government like he had promised Ace's late father. Gol D. Roger, it was a name Ace was coming to detest more with each passing year. His enslavement after all was due to nothing more then being that cursed man's son.

Sighing Ace got out of bed, which was really just some blankets on the floor, and stretched his aching muscles. Garp had given him a training session the day before and right after Sengoku had made him scrub all the floors in the entire base before he was even allowed to sleep. The man truly enjoyed torturing Ace but he was long used to the chores. That had been all Sengoku had allowed him to do from the time he woke to the time he slept if it wasn't a day he was allowed time with his grandfather. That's how it had been for the first two years. However since he had turned seventeen he noticed some of the soldiers giving him odd looks, ones he wasn't comfortable with at all, but they wouldn't dare touch him, not with Garp giving them death glares every time he noticed someone looking at his grandson with lust filed eyes. But there was one person Garp couldn't stop and Ace shivered at the memories that he tried to suppress. The only other thing there was were the regular beatings, usually handed down by Sengoku himself. They were trying to brake him, force him to lose the will to live but even after all this time they hadn't succeeded. He wasn't sure how long his spirit would hold out however but he knew he needed to find a way out. Ace didn't realize it but that opportunity would present itself very soon.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 : Opportunity Knocks With Conditions

Ace stared at Sengoku in disbelief, had he really heard him right?

"C-could you repeat that, S-Sengoku-sama?" Ace asked hesitantly, the name felt like poison on his lips but he knew that he would be punished if he didn't say it. Sengoku smirked at the way the seventeen year old stammered.

"Would you like a chance to earn back your freedom, slave?" he repeated the question. He never used the boy's name always calling him slave. Ace swallowed hard, wondering if it was a trick.

"H-how?" he asked. Sengoku took a paper out from his desk and laid it out for Ace to see. It was a wanted posted for Edward Newgate also known as Whitebeard. From what Ace knew of him he held the title of the strongest man in the world and was a long standing throne in the Marine's side.

"All you have to do is kill this man," Sengoku told him; Ace studied his face for a moment but couldn't detect any lies. "Kill him and you'll have your freedom. I'll remove the bomb collar before you set out but know that if you try to betray my trust by running I'll make you pay, slave. I haven't forgotten that little brother of your's in Goa. Do you think he'd make a good slave in your steed?"

"Don't you dare touch my brother," Ace hissed at the admiral who just smirked, knowing Ace was truly powerless against him. "Please forgive my out burst, Sengoku-sama," he said immediately while bowing low, not wanting the man to revoke the offer to spite him.

"Then I'm sure you'll be a good boy and complete this mission," he said sliding the poster across the desk for Ace to take. "I don't care how you do it but make sure you show me some proof that he's dead."

"Fine, anything to be free again," Ace conceded, taking the poster. "How soon can I leave, Sengoku-sama?"

"This afternoon," Sengoku told him. "Vice-Admiral Garp will be bringing you some clothing and supplies for the trip since he didn't think that sending you out with nothing would be as funny as some of us would."

Ace ignored the comment and nodded before turning to leave, assuming he had been dismissed.

"Oh you're not free to go yet," Sengoku said, amusement clear in his voice. "I'd like to leave you with a parting gift. Head to my quarters and wait for me there."

A shiver of dread went down Ace's spine as he thought about what that "gift" might be. Taking a deep steadying breath he nodded. He could endure it if it meant his freedom was almost in reach. He wouldn't give the man a reason to change his mind now. He probably didn't even think Ace could do it, unaware of Ace's training sessions with Garp over the past years, but he would prove him wrong. He had to; it wasn't just him a stake, but Luffy as well. Ace didn't trust for a minute that Sengoku wouldn't go after Luffy, should he fail. There was no honor among Marines when they were dealing with those they considered beneath them.

Ace sat in his room, which was more like an empty store room then a bedroom, nursing the wounds that Sengoku had left as his "parting gift". Ace didn't care if he died during this mission; at least he would forever be free of that man's reach. He resolved that he would find someone who could protect Luffy should the worse happen. Maybe if he just drew this mission out long enough Luffy would turn seventeen and set out from Dawn Island but Ace didn't suspect that they would let him go unchecked for three more years. He remembered Luffy talking about that red haired Shanks, who had given Luffy his hat. Maybe if he found that man and explained his situation then he could go help Luffy. But telling him meant admitting to being nothing but a slave and that was a shame he couldn't bare to tell anyone, not even Luffy.

A knocking on the door brought him out of his thoughts. Ace looked up, wondering who it was. His voice was still horse from all the screaming he had done not too long ago. He prayed it wasn't Sengoku again.

"Ace?" the teen sighed in relief. It was just Garp, probably there with clothes for him. Standing up Ace opened the door and let him in.

The smile that had been on Garp's face fell once he took in his grandson's appearance. The boy was naked, save for a sheet he had wrapped around him. His lip was bloody and his body was bruised.

"I'm okay, Ji-ji," Ace said in a quit voice trying to give the man a reassuring smile. Garp just sighed, knowing it was a down right lie but Ace would be out of there soon.

"Let's get you a shower before you get dressed," Garp suggested. "Sengoku's given me permission to help you get ready for your trip so there's no point in being in this crummy store room. Ace nodded.

He realized his grandfather was being unusually gentle with him right now. Normally he would have gotten the "fist of love" the moment Garp entered the room. Ace wrapped the sheet tighter around himself and followed Garp out. He knew his grandfather had his own room on this base so he figured they would be going there.

It wasn't long before he was proven right. They entered Garp's room, ignoring all the curious eyes from the soldier's loitering around the halls. Ace sat in a chair while Garp went to run a shower for him. The older man had suggested a bath but Ace declined, not wanting to sit in water stained in his blood. Garp hadn't seen it yet but there were numerous open wounds on his back.

"Come here," Garp said suddenly, braking Ace out of his thoughts once again. He hadn't even heard the man come back in the room. Obediently Ace got up and went over to his grandfather. "Time to get this blasted thing off." Ace looked confused but it faded when Garp held up the key that Ace knew went to his bomb collar. Sengoku had said that it would be removed but Ace assumed it would be at the last moment. He stood still while Garp unlocked it. It felt so weird having it off his neck. It had been a weight bearing down on him for three years after all. He rubbed at the scarred and bruised skin around his neck here the collar had sat.

"It feels weird to have it off," Ace admitted.

"Well get used to it," Garp gruffed. "I never wanna see this thing on you again." Ace nodded, he couldn't agree more. "Now go get cleaned up, I left you're new clothes on the counter in there."

"I won't be long," Ace assured as he went into the bathroom. Once the door was closed he dropped the sheet onto the floor and looked at his abused body in the mirror. He felt disgusted with himself for what happened, though he knew deep down that it wasn't his own fault he still couldn't help it. Nor could he stop the bile from rising up from his stomach when the reality of what happened finally hit him. He rushed to the toilet and empties his stomach of what little he had eaten for breakfast that day. Once there was nothing left he dry heaved for another five minutes.

A knock sounded on the door.

"You okay in there, Ace?" Garp sounded worried.

"Fine," he answered tiredly before getting in the shower. The hot water felt good. It eased his tense muscles and washed away all of his troubles it seemed. Not wanting to linger any longer then he already had he quickly set to rubbing the soap all over himself and washing his hair.

Once done he shut the water off and got out. He spotted a towel and the clothes Garp had promised him on the counter. He dried off quickly and dressed. The clothes were black shorts and an orange belt with an A on it. He smiled. Garp remembered that his favorite color was orange it seemed. He put them on along with another blue pouch that looped through one of the legs of his shorts. There were no bruises on his legs that could be seen so the shorts were acceptable. The shirt was a yellow button up. Ace normally would have chosen to wear it opened but in order to cover the marks on his chest he resolved that he would wear it closed until they healed.

Garp was waiting for him with a huge plate of food. Ace smiled as the smells hit his nose. He loved food, he loved to eat but since being here he hadn't been able to eat as much as he would like. In fact he wasn't allowed more then what would be considered the bare minimum to keep him alive.

He sat down in the chair across from Garp at the small table and dug into the food without invitation. He knew it was for him so why be coy about it? This wasn't just some marine that would slap him around for kicks. This was Garp, his grandfather who had protected him as much as he possibly could over the last few years. When he was full Ace sat back and rubbed his stomach. He couldn't remember the last time he had eaten so much.

"When do I set out?" he asked finally while putting on the black boots Garp had gestured to once he had finished his food.

"I have a boat waiting for you in the docs," Garp told him. "It's not a big boat, just something that can be sailed by one man and not run the risk of capsizing. You can leave at any time. I had my men stock it with the necessary supplies and don't worry they aren't foolish enough to have don't anything to sabotage you." Ace nodded. He knew that if was anyone but the men under the command of Garp they might have tried to poison is food or something that would kill him.

They walked out to the docks quietly together. Garp had given Ace a green and black bag with extra clothing for the trip. No one else was there to see him off and Ace was glad for that.

"Now listen," Garp said, turning to Ace and setting a hand on each of his shoulders. "There's enough food for a couple of weeks. I put some money in your bag so you can re-supply once you reach an island. There're also some maps and a lounge post in the cabin. You remember how that works right?"

Ace nodded. He remembered the lesson Garp had given him on it the year before. He wanted his grandson to be prepared incase the chance to escape came up.

"Good. Now one more thing," he said taking something out of his coat. "These are from Dadan and Luffy."

Ace took the hazardously wrapped package curiously and ripped it open. Inside was a red beaded necklace, like the one Dadan always wore and an orange cow boy hat with similar red bead around the brim and a smiley face and sad face medallions on it. Ace immediately put them on and fought back the emotions that were coming to the surface.

"Tell them thanks," he said with the first real smile he had worn in ages.

"You be safe out there," Garp said giving Ace a bear hug, looking close to crying himself.

"It's okay, I'm free now," Ace said, returning the hug before hopping onto the boat and raising the anchor. He waved to Garp as he floated out onto the open waters of the Grand Line.

 _Weather I succeed in killing him or I die trying, I'm free…_


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: First Order of Business

 _Everything ached._

 _That was Ace's first thought as he awoke from the unconsciousness Sengoku had beaten him into. He'd tried to run away that morning, he remembered. Everything after that is a blur however. Ace knew he'd been yelled at, had the bomb collar gone off? No. He was still alive after all. It was just a deterrent, a last minute option to use if he ever did make it too far. They'd rather catch him, beat the fourteen year old within an inch of his life then like him take such an easy way out._

 _Shivering, he'd been stripped of his clothing he realized, Ace sat up. The heel of his hand automatically pressed into his eyes, head throbbing with pain from even the slightest of movements. He could feel the welts on his back oozing with crusted, half dried blood. It disgusted him. This whole situation made him sick. He wasn't some slave. They weren't nobles damn it! He wasn't going to sever that bastard for the rest of his life and he'd show them all just how hard it would be to break him. The raven wouldn't break. He'd live and regain the freedom they stripped from him so unfairly. Never had he cured his own father's existence more than now. It was that man's sins he was playing for now after all…_

 _Feeling his eyes begin to grow damp the teen quickly wiped them away, refusing to be so weak. Before he could fully get a hold over himself once more the door to his cell if it could be called that, slammed open once more, reveling the Fleet Admiral himself, smirking a sinister grin as he looked over the naked youth before him. The teen could feel his skin crawl as the older man's eyes dragged over his prone body._

" _Are you ready for your next lesson, slave?" Sengoku asked with a sneer as he advanced on Ace._

* * *

The raven haired teen shot up out of bed, breathing hard as he placed a hand over his beating heart. Why did he have to think of that now of all times? Ace would be happy if he could just forget all of those horrible memories yet he couldn't. They were all but seared into his brain, never to be forgotten as long as he lived. Although with the mission he was given, Ace wasn't sure just how much longer that would be. Shaking his head the teen pushed himself up from his bed and stretched the stiffness away before moving out of the tiny ship cabin and out into the light that shone so brightly out on deck.

Life on the sea, sailing alone more accurately, turned out to be a much more quiet experience than Ace had ever anticipated. The first several days had been plagued with paranoia. The teen constantly had his eyes open and looking for any sight of a marine ship, fear that this was all just an elaborate joke to mess with him. He wouldn't have put it past Sengoku to offer him his freedom, give him hope that he hadn't felt in three years before cruelly snatching it away once more. It hadn't happened yet and that was a small comfort for the teen.

The nights on the other hand, those were filled with nightmares some old, like the one he's just had before walking and some new, visions of what might happen should he fail to do the tasked assigned to him. The raven didn't trust the fleet Admiral one bit so his first order of business had been to somehow secure his brother's safety should he die before completing his task. He had no doubts that Sengoku wouldn't accept anything less than Ace successfully completing the mission he was given to win not only his but Luffy's freedom as well. Even if he didn't run, Sengoku was a greedy man.

So with those thoughts in mind Ace had set his sights on the last known location of the pirate yanko; Red Hair Shanks. He'd thought of mentioning it to his grandfather before he'd left of course but like with the situation with Ace, Garp was bound by his rank as a marine and couldn't act against the fleet admiral. However Shanks, a pirate had no such restrictions. Ace remembered Luffy going on and on about the guy who'd saved him and given him his treasured straw hat. The teen hoped that the man was still just as fond of Luffy as his younger brother claimed he was back then.

The plan was simple. Ace would meet up with the Red Hair Pirates and inform them that he'd heard that the marines would be after Luffy because of who his father was. It wasn't a lie of course, that was why Sengoku was able to target Luffy and hold the other's freedom against him. Ace was one man though and he didn't have any type of reputation for being a pirate, it would be easy to convince Shanks that he couldn't help his brother himself due to having no way to keep him out of harm's way after leaving Dawn Island with him. If he was being honest, in his current condition, Ace didn't exactly look like he could defend himself let alone someone else from the World Government.

So far the plan seemed to be going accordingly. It hadn't taken long to learn of the man's whereabouts. He wasn't exactly quiet about his movements as most people had the sense to stay away from the notorious crew. That's how Ace had found himself in his current situation; heading to a summer island that was a well known hang out and resting point for the pirates. A man on the island he'd just restocked was king enough to supply Ace with the information after he'd explained that he merely wished to meet the man in person and thank him for saving his little brother ten years ago. Everyone in the area seemed to like Shanks and his crew so Ace was fairly certain that he was in the Red Hair pirate's territory.

The teen hadn't taken very long to sail the boat as close to shore as the tide would allow before swimming the rest of the way to the island. At first sight it had looked uninhabited. However Ace recognized the Jolly Roger the only other ship anchored so close to the island as Shanks'. It was a fairly well known flag after all.

Once to shore, the raven haired teen began his search, deciding that they were likely farther into the island as he didn't see any pirates milling around the beach or the outer edge of the small island. It didn't take long for the young man to be proven right. Not even half a mile into the dense forest Ace began to hear voices. Knowing he was on the right track he continued along his chosen path until he found a cave filled with loud and rowdy pirates. From the looks of it they were well into a party and on their way to being drunk. Ace hoped they weren't too intoxicated. He wasn't planning to hang around long. It wouldn't be good for the Navy to realize what he was up to. If they spotted his ship anchored at the same island as Shanks they'd know what he was up to and would likely head to Dawn Island themselves and hold Luffy until Ace finished the tasked assigned to him.

Ace didn't even get within a few feet of the cave before everything went silent, followed shortly by hushed whispers and a bit of arguing. They were clearly trying to decide who was going to check out the new presents they'd clearly detected. Observation Haki if the teen were to guess. It was a good sign; it meant they weren't too far gone in their drinking to notice what was going on around them. Ace saved them the trouble and just continued on to the cave, granted more cautiously. He didn't want to be attacked after all. The raven haired teen didn't get more than a few steps however, before he felt the bite of cold steal against his neck and a threatening aura from behind him. Ace visibly flinched as he swallowed down his nerves.

"And who might you be?"


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Moving Forward

"And who might you be?" came the cold voice from behind him, an air of superiority lingering in the tone.

Frozen in place by fear or maybe this stranger's haki, Ace couldn't tell, he just knew he couldn't move and for some odd reason his tongue didn't seem to want to work either. Before anything could happen however someone came out of the cave, smiling widely and stumbling a little from having too much drink most likely. The teen was more focused one the stock of red head upon his head though. Ace had no doubt that was Shanks, the man he'd come searching for.

"Hey come on Hawkeye you're gonna make the kid piss himself," the man; Shanks said, laughing as he stepped closer to the pair.

Ace wasn't stupid. There was only one person called Hawkeye that he knew of and that was the Warlord; Dracule Mihawk. If the teen hadn't already been frozen in place he would be after finding out such a detail. While Warlords were pirates they answered to the World Government. If he went back and informed them of Ace's plan or that he'd even seen him speaking with Shanks… well that would make the whole plan pointless. Sengoku would have Luffy snatched up in a flash.

"I was simply inquiring to why he was here," Mihawk said stiffly though he still removed the cold steal from Ace's neck.

The teen was able to breath easier though he still stayed frozen in position. It was a response born from years of torture and training he supposed. Ace hated that his body acted like this on its own. It would surely become a hindrance later on but there was nothing he could do for it. It would take too long to retrain his body and it was time that he just didn't have. Sengoku wasn't going to let him hang around the Grand Line for years while he got himself ready to take on the strongest man in the world. He only had a small window to get it done. Sengoku didn't say that but he didn't have to, Ace read it in his tone loud and clear. They wanted this done as soon as possible so he needed to hurry and get his plan to save Luffy in motion as quickly as he could.

"Yeah right, you just wanted to scare him," Shanks accused good naturedly. Hawkeye huffed and moved past Ace and back into the care where there was clearly some type of party going on. With him gone the redhead turned his attention to the teen, appearing to have sobered up considerably. "So what are you here for? Not some kind of bounty hunter are you because let's be honest, you really did look like you were gonna wet yourself kid."

"N-no!" the raven shuttered before stealing his nerve once more. "No, that's not why I'm here at all. Listen, you saved my little brother when he was a kid; he never shut up about you so I wanted to come meet you myself."

"Luffy? I didn't know he had an older brother," Shank laughed, mood changing considerably. "Come on in this calls for drinks, tell me how he's been!"

As much as Ace would love to do just that, well it wasn't like he actually knew how Luffy's been for one and he just didn't have time. He hated that that thought kept crossing his mind but it didn't make it any less true.

"Actually, I really need your help," the teen blurted instead before Shanks could get into full party mode. Again the man's demeanor changed.

"Has something happened to Luffy?"

"Not yet, that's why I'm here," Ace told him, hoping the man would listen. "I don't have much time and if I'm caught here talking to you this whole trip will have been pointless," he continued wanting to be as honest as possible.

"Okay, tell me then, we don't need to waste time. I can relay the information back to my crew later," Shanks said, stepping closer so that he could catch everything the teen before him was going to have to say.

"Right, the marines, Fleet Admiral Sengoku to be exact is planning to go to Dawn Island and take Luffy into custody after finding out who his father is," he said, going with the story he'd prepared over the last few days. It was all true of course, he just planned to leave out the fact that he himself was a slave and that Luffy was only in danger if he failed to complete the task given to him.

"His father?" Shanks prompted him.

"Monkey D. Dragon."

"The leader of the Revolutionaries?!" Shanks yelped in surprise, never having thought of putting the last names together.

"Exactly, you can understand what kind of problem that is can't you?" When Shanks nodded Ace went on. "I'm just one man, I don't have a reputation and I'm not that strong on my own. I could get Luffy off the island but ultimately I can't protect him from the World Government."

"I think I get what you're asking. You want me to go pick him up and protect him?" Shanks asked just to be clear. "Isn't Dragon your father as well?"

"We're brothers by oath not blood. My name is Portgas D. Ace. It would just be until he's seventeen though," Ace assured. "That's when he's planning to go out on his own. He doesn't know they're going to be coming for him though so you might need to convince him."

"Are you going to be sailing to Dawn with us?"

"I can't. I wish I could but there are things I need to do to ensure his safety. I can't tell you what or why I have to do what I'm going to but just know if I fail Luffy is going to be in serious need of your protection, Shanks." Ace said, an urgent tone in his voice.

The red haired pirate stared at him with a piercing look, like he was trying to see what the teen was thinking or perhaps even read his soul. Ace didn't like the way the man's gaze lingered on the scars upon his neck though he didn't comment on them. Ace was sure the man had seen them enough in his life to know what caused them or to at least give him an idea. It was a relief when Shanks didn't demand more details. Instead the man just fixed him with a kind smile.

"Alright. Don't you worry, Luffy's in good hands with us," the red haired pirate assured and it was like a weight had been lifted off his chest. Suddenly it didn't hurt so much to breath. "Do you have a transponder snail? I'll want to contact you once we have your bother with us."

"I do," Ace said, remembering the one Garp had made sure to hide on the ship so he could contact his grandson if anything went wrong. Ace pulled a piece of paper from his pocket with the number written on it, knowing the pirate might ask for it. "Just let me know it's you when you call. I'll try to hold off on doing anything until you have him."

"Sounds like a good plan." Shanks agreed, taking the paper and tucking it safely into his pocket. "Thank you for coming here; you did the right thing informing me, Ace. You should get going; you won't want to linger too long. We'll wait an hour after you've cleared the island to leave ourselves to avoid possible suspicion."

Nodding Ace thanked him with a bow before turning and heading back to the beach so he could get back on his ship and get out of there before the Navy became the wiser. He was pretty confident that there wasn't much chance of them finding out though. Shanks seemed to genuinely care about Luffy. Mihawk was his friend clearly so he would likely keep quiet about what had been said if Shanks asked him to. Or so he hoped. Either way from here on out the only thing Ace could do was to keep moving forward.

* * *

The red haired pirate waited until Ace was out of his sight before going back into the cave to inform his crew of what he'd been told. They'd all grown a soft spot for the kid and Shanks already knew the moment he told them of the kind of danger their little brat was in they'd all want to rush to help. He couldn't help worrying about that other kid though, Ace. There was something familiar about him for sure but he just couldn't put his finger on it. Those scars on his neck though. There was no doubt they came from years of wearing a bomb collar. That along with the kid telling him he couldn't explain farther and had a task to complete all led to one conclusion. Ace had been a slave and he was being given a chance to win back his freedom. Shanks didn't know what impossible task he'd been given but they were using Luffy against him as leverage to make sure he didn't run.

The thought made him see red. He wanted to go right to Navy HQ and make every one of those bastards pay for what they did, were still doing to Luffy's brother. However he knew right now all he could do was get to Dawn and pick up his little anchor and keep him safe for the time being. Luffy was probably going to throw a fit, he could already see it now, but they'd kidnap him if they had to. There was no way Shanks was letting anyone get their filthy hands on his brat.

"Alright men let's set sail!" he called out after an hour had passed. Ace should be far enough away by now so it wouldn't look suspicious. Cheers followed the declaration and the crew picked up and headed out so they could get the Red Force underway. Mihawk didn't say a work but Shanks knew he'd keep silent. He may be a Warlord but he hated when the government tried to use kids like this. He couldn't come with them because of his status but he'd keep and eye on the marine activity none the less, Shanks was sure of it.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Needing a Plan

It had taken about several weeks for the Red Hair Pirates to make their way though paradise and another few days to make it though the Calm Belt. The seas of the East Blue were always so much calmer than they were on the Grand Line. It'd been six years since they'd been back there. Dawn Island was just on the horizon and still Shanks wasn't sure what he was going to say to Luffy that would convince the little anchor that he needed to go with him.

He and Ben had discussed it at length of course. Well that gad mostly consisted of Shanks freaking out and Ben sighing in exasperation. When they weren't around the rest of the crew, the red haired pirate had also discussed what Ace hadn't told him during their meeting with his first mate. From what he could gather, Ace was a slave, the scars around his neck like he'd been forced to wear a collar for many years was proof enough of that. Shanks had seen scars like that before. He was also assuming that when Ace said he had something he needed to do to ensure his brother's safety it was likely some impossible task that bastard Sengoku had given him in order to earn his freedom or maybe just to earn Luffy's. The redhead wouldn't put it past him to do something like that.

However if Ace failed than the Marines were planning to go to Dawn Island and take Luffy under the guise that it was because of who his father was. Shanks wanted nothing more than to help Luffy's brother break the chains that were binding him and if he could do that by making sure that the leverage that was being held over him was out of harms way then damn it he was going to make sure it happened no matter what. He didn't know how much Luffy would actually know. The red haired pirate knew his grandfather was a Marine and that was likely what had been protecting Luffy up until this point.

Shanks had had weeks to dwell on it yet he still didn't have all the details, like what Ace was going to do once they had Luffy on the ship. It was more than a little worrisome. He'd even considered getting a hold of another one of the Yonko; Whitebeard, to give him a head's up and maybe ask him to keep an eye out for the kid but in the end he decided against it. There was just too much he didn't know at this point.

"Captain! We'll be reaching the Goa Kingdom in a half hour as long as this wind keeps up!" Lucky Roo shouted, relaying the message from the navigator.

"Great! I don't wanna draw a lot of attention to ourselves so it'll just be a few of us going ashore," Shanks reminded them. They'd talked about it before of course but the guys were always a little over excited when they made it to an inhabited island. They weren't there to have fun though and they all knew that time was a huge factor here. They needed to get to Luffy convince him that he needed to go with them and get back into the Grand Line as soon as possible.

"I'll make sure everyone who's going to shore is ready," Lucky Roo told him before heading back out on deck.

The group going to the Island turned out to only consist of three members. Shanks of course was going, who else was going to convince the little anchor to get his butt moving? Ben was in the row boat as well along with Yasopp just incase they were in need of a sharp shooter. However a once around the island told them that there weren't any Marines around. Shanks took that as a good sign. It meant no one had noticed what Ace had been up to just yet.

Once they reached Foosha village, Ben tired the small boat to the docs. Normally they had no problem docking at the island it self since the water was always deep enough. They just didn't need that kind of attention right now. Even Shanks for all his fun, games and flashy entrances, knew when to be subtle. Not waiting up for his first mate and sniper, the redhead went straight to Makino's Party Bar where he assumed he'd find Luffy. That's where the kid always hung out when he was there before.

Pushing the door open, the pirate looked around, nothing that everyone in the bar was far too old to be the kid he was looking for. He didn't get a chance to frown over it though when the young girl behind the bar called out to him.

"Shanks, is that you?" Makino asked, as she looked up from the drink she was pouring. Ben and Yasopp came in behind him then, giving the bar maid a greeting as well.

"Sure is, it's been a while huh?" he replied causally as he made his way over to the bar, smile on his face and not giving anything away. "Hey you wouldn't happen to know where Luffy is would ya? I was expecting to find him here."

"It sure has, Luffy doesn't live inside the village anymore," she informed him, seeing no need to hide the information. "He lives just past the forest now, on Mt. Corvo."

"Why's all the way out there?" Shank's asked surprised.

"Why don't you head out there and ask him yourself," Makino retorted, clearly amused. "I'm sure you won't have any trouble finding him, just look for a big tree house."

"Well alright, I'm gonna head out that way then, I'll stop back in when I return," he assured her.

After Shanks and the other two pirates left the bar they headed right into the forest to find their brat. At least he was still on the island so they could be thankful for that. Like Makino has said it only too about an hour for them to make their way though the forest, Shanks' haki keeping the over sized animals at bay. Any other time the pirates wouldn't have minded some hunting like this but they did have a more pressing matter on their hands.

Over the last few weeks Ace had been making his way deeper into paradise, seeking out something that would possibly help him in a fight against the world's strongest man. He didn't want to lose focus of his goal while he sat back worrying about his little brother. He needed to have faith in the fact that Shanks was going to save him before he could be subjected to the same nightmare that Ace himself had been.

* * *

Several days ago he'd finally got a lead on a possible location of a logia type devil fruit. He wasn't sure which one it was, however some idiot pirates in Mock Town had been bragging about how they were planning to sell it. Ace had been lucky; their boat was still docked at the lawless island when he'd arrived there. Being unknown as a criminal and only having himself it hadn't been hard for him to sneak onto their ship, take out the one man who'd been guarding it while the rest of the crew was at the bar drinking themselves stupid. Ace couldn't help thinking that if their captain had been smart; he'd have just eaten for himself. They seemed like a relatively weak bunch or maybe it was just that Ace was stronger than most. He had to be to survive what he had.

He didn't even bother sneaking away before eating the fruit in several bites. It had been disgusting like he remembered Luffy telling him when they were kids. At least now there was no chance of anyone taking it back from him. Smirking to himself, Ace had gotten back on his small boat and sailed away from the island as soon as his lounge post was ready for the next island. It was only by some miracle or the devil's luck that he hadn't been caught that time.

Without much else to do besides wait until his brother was with Shanks, Ace had ventured to an uninhabited island so he could train his body and devil fruit. He still had that little matter of not freezing when someone got too close or raised their voice he needed to train himself out of. He wasn't hopeful enough to believe he could fully over come the conditioned response; however he hoped to at least be able to hide it so that it wasn't so obvious to his enemies. Whitebeard and his crew weren't going to take kindly to what Ace had to do. He had no illusions that the man would show him any type of sympathy or mercy once he challenged him. Pirates were ruthless after all and Ace, despite being locked away for so long, heard the stories of how the Whitebeard Pirates thought of each other as family and how they didn't take kindly to anyone threatening their members. The raven haired teen was sure that went double for their captain.

Ace was just taking a break from his training when the transponder snail decided to ring. Wearily, the teen answered, unsure if it was Shanks, Garp or even Sengoku looking to check on his progress.

"Hello?" he asked into the receiver after picking it up. "This is Ace speaking." He waited for a reply, some indication of which it might be nerves all over the place. For a few seconds Ace felt like he was back at Marine HQ stuffed inside the tiny closet of a room waiting for the next time Sengoku was going to beat him or worse.

"Hey kiddo, its Shanks," the cheer voice finally spoke. The teen let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "I've got your brother on my ship now; we're turning the ship around and headed straight for the Red Line."

"H- He's okay?" Ace found himself asking, wanting to be sure.

"Perfectly fine," the red haired pirate assured. "Do you want to speak with him?"

Did Ace want to speak with him? What would he even say after all this time? He didn't even know what story Garp had told him to keep him kicking up a fuss once Ace was gone. He couldn't do that right now he decided. If he did he might lose his resolve to go through with his plan. He didn't have people like Luffy did, people who would protect him from the wrath of the government. What had happened back then was proof enough that not even their shitty grandfather could protect Ace. His only chance to be free was to kill Whitebeard. He had to; there was no other way and if he talked to Luffy now he just knew he would turn his back on it just so he could be with his little brother, even if it was only for a short time before the Marines came after him again.

"No, it's probably best it I wait," Ace said, not giving any farther explanation. "Thank you for doing this for me."

"No need to thank me, Luffy's practically family," Shanks assured him, a frown in his voice at the decline to speak to the younger raven.

"I'm glad he has people like you," the teen told him, meaning it. "Now I can do what I need to without having to worry."

"You never did say what it was you had to do."

"No, I guess I didn't. Can't have my plans getting out can I," the teen replied, sounding cockier than he actually felt. Whatever goes Shanks to stop asking though, that's what he told himself. "I better get going then, take care."

Ace didn't wait for a reply before hanging up. Luffy was safe now and it felt like yet another weight had been lifted off his tired shoulders. He could get moving now. There wasn't anything he could do to farther prepare himself; it was time to face Whitebeard. He just had to find the man. The man was probably well into the New World. Ace knew his little ship wasn't going to make it that far. There was no way in hell he could there in a tiny boat let alone by himself.

"Guess I'll have to lure the old man to me then," Ace muttered to himself, trying to think. He wasn't sure what would get the man there short of declaring war on one of his territories though. Well he could probably go to the nearest one and kick up some type of fuss, it wasn't like he actually had to hurt any innocent people, just make it look like he was going to. Yeah that sounded like a good idea.

Picking up the snail's receiver once more he dialed number and waited for a few rings until the other person picked up.

"Ji-ji… I need to know all the islands under Whitebeard's protection in paradise."

* * *

Shanks stared at the snail with a frown on his face. That brat had hung up on him! The nerve of that kid! Still Shanks couldn't say he was too surprised. The conversation had gone south the moment he asked if the other wanted to speak with Luffy. By the look on the kid's face, he'd been expecting Ace to decline.

"Know what that was about?" Shanks asked, curious to know.

Luffy was unnaturally quiet for some time as if debating on what he should say and what he shouldn't. It was a far cry from the Luffy he remembered. That little brat didn't know when to keep his mouth shut and it often lead him into trouble.

'Looks like he's matured huh?' the redhead couldn't help thinking with a fond smile.

"Ace… he doesn't want me to talk him out of whatever it is you said he had to do," the young teen finally said, giving as little information as possible without outright lying. Shanks remembered that Luffy was a terrible liar. Looks like he'd figured out what caution was over the last six years. "I don't know what you know, but I'm not allowed to talk about it. Ace doesn't even know that I know…"

"I see, well I wouldn't want you getting yourself into trouble anchor," Shanks said, giving the kid an out. He had already guessed what was going on anyway. The only thing he didn't know is what it was Ace thought he needed to do. Luffy didn't have that information either though so there was no point in prodding the kid for it. Luffy nodded and after a moment the huge grin returned to his face and he was back to his normally goofy self.

"I'm starving, got any meat?!"

The red haired pirate let out a full bellied laugh at that before getting up and leading his little anchor to the ship's galley for some food. If he remembered right their cook was going to be in for a hell of a work out with Luffy's appetite.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Wanted: Dead or Alive

The ship and seas began to tremble causing the crew of the Moby Dick to wonder just what had gotten their pops so upset this early in the morning. Whatever it was, they all knew it had to be something horrible to cause a seaquake. It seemed all at once the commanders who were in the galley shared a look before rushing out to see what was going on.

When they got there, Marco was already with their captain, trying to calm his rage though he looked pretty well pissed himself, not a usual look for their first division commander.

"Turn the ship around we're heading back to paradise immediately, yoi!" Marco told shouted, voice holding no room for argument. One of his division members nodded frantically before rushing off to let navigation know their change of course. They were about a week from paradise and a few days from that from the island that would be their destination.

"What happened?" Thatch finally asked what everyone else wanted to know.

"It would seem that some upstart rookie decided to make a name for himself by taking out one of our territories, yoi," Marco replied since Whitebeard was still fuming over the newspaper article that had just been read to him by one of his son's.

This was truly awful, an entire island eradicated and ravaged by fire. From the marine reports, none had been left alive that they could see. The article went on to mention that no help could be given to any possible living citizen due to the brats continued presence on the island. If that monster, this Portgas D. Ace wanted to gain his attention he certainly had it now.

Each of the commander's faces went dark at the news. They all knew if there was one way to bring their father's wrath upon someone it was for that person to hurt his family and people under his protection. They would not be letting it slide that much was for sure. Normally when a territory was under threat of an attack a single commander and division was enough to take care of it however something of this scale would bring the whole ship back to the first half of the Grand Line. It was only luck that they had not been farther in, having just left paradise not that long ago.

"Rest assured that a slight like this shall not be tolerated. I will make sure this upstart doesn't get away with what he's done," Whitebeard declared once he had enough control over himself, his face set in a grim look. Yes, he would get retribution for this crime.

* * *

They had arrived at the island in record time. It had only taken a little over a week to get there and it looked like they were in luck. The murder was still lingering around the island. Marco had done a fly over to check before they'd disembarked and seen the boy the newspaper described, walking through the wreckage, either enjoying himself in his destruction or making sure he'd snuffed out every single life.

The first division commander had gone back and reported his findings to his father who once again frowned grimly, knowing what he was going to have to do. It was always a waste when rookies make such horrible choices. Their lives wasted and for what? He would never understand.

The moment they made land, Whitebeard spotted the boy who looked an awful lot younger than even he was expecting. To think this one brat had done all this damage. It did not seem right yet here he was, covered in dirt and blood.

"If you wanted my attention, brat, you chose the wrong way to get it," the captain said, voice booming through the desolate area. The kid seemed to freeze for a moment as if not expecting to be addressed, however; it didn't last before a defiant smirk came across his face.

* * *

It had taken nearly an hour of arguing before Garp had finally given in and told his grandson the islands that were currently under the protection of Whitebeard. Unsurprisingly there were quite a few of them. Ace made quick work of charting the course to nearest one. Unfortunately, it wasn't so quick to get there. It had taken a week of sailing just to reach the next island his lounge post had pointed to. After that, it had taken another three days of straight sailing to reach a Whitebeard territory.

However when he finally arrived it hadn't been what he was expecting. It was too quiet and the air around the island smelled charred. The smell alone took him back to when he was ten. The Gray Terminal had smelt a lot like this after the fire… realization struck the teen, as he got closer. Smoke seemed to linger. He anchored his ship as quickly as he could and made his way to shore in a small row boat, no longer able to just wade through the water like he had before acquiring his devil fruit.

As he'd expected, everything in sight was burnt. Buildings were caved in and the smell of death was so strong Ace nearly wretched up the little he'd managed to eat that morning. Managing to hold it down, the raven-haired teen moved through the wreckage slowly, checking for any signs of life.

"What the hell happened here…" he wondered aloud as he moved brunt boards around, uncaring that he was getting himself covered in soot.

At one point Ace found bodies in the wreckage. He was sure they were dead yet he felt obligated to check for signs of life, ignoring the blood he was getting on his hands by doing so. He'd been in worse situations than the aftermath of someone else's carnage after all. He couldn't help that feeling of paranoia once again prickling at the back of his mind though. It was just a little odd that this had happened on the very island he planned to threaten to get Whitebeard's attention. He had only told Garp about the plan though and there was no way his grandfather would condone something like this. He'd had to assure that he wasn't planning to follow through with any threats should Whitebeard not take him seriously after all.

The fire user had not been given any time to think about it before he felt the presence of some extremely strong people around the coast. It was clear Whitebeard had come himself to investigate the island at least that's what Ace had assumed until the man spoke.

"If you wanted my attention, brat, you chose the wrong way to get it," the man's voice boomed loudly over him. Ace's body immediately froze as all that underlying anger was clearly directed at him. He recovered quickly however, well more quickly that he normally would have. It seemed the work he'd been doing to cover up his conditioning had helped somewhat. He forced a smirk to his face. Whitebeard clearly thought he was the cause of this mess and while that didn't really sit well with the teen it was likely, the only opportunity he would get to fight the man.

He made no move to accept or deny the accusation however, fire crackled over his skin as he took a fighting stance. He put on an air of false confidence. He knew it was going to be hard enough to take on the world's strongest man, he wasn't sure he could take on him and his commanders all at once. It wasn't as if he had a choice though. Whitebeard obviously thought him guilty and he'd already promised himself he was going to successes or die trying.

"You really think you're going to win against pops?" one of the commanders asked then, a tall man with a weird hairstyle that Ace thought looked funny. He didn't laugh though, just scowled. The teen didn't even know why the man was asking, it wasn't as if he had a choice, they had come to kill him, not speak with him over it hadn't they?

"Guess we'll just have to see huh?" he asked back instead before charging forward, launching an attack at their captain.

It was then that the man gestured for his sons to move aside, giving them room to fight. Whitebeard had doubts about this brat really causing all this destruction and death however it was clear the boy meant to fight him so fight him he would. He swung his mighty bisento, snuffing out the flames the teen had sent towards him.

Ace didn't falter however as he hadn't exculpated the first attack to even hit. Instead, he jumped up, lighting his fists on fire once more as he swung at Whitebeard's face. The teen hadn't expected to be swatted away like nothing more than a bothersome fly however. It took him a moment to regain his footing, his body having tensed up at the contact. It took everything in him not to curl up in the fetal position, as he would have if it had been Sengoku beating him. Shaking his head to remove those unnecessary thoughts Ace went in for the attack again, not relenting as he dodged a swing of the other man's bisento, this time aiming lower, for his legs.

Whitebeard hadn't expected such a tactic from an upstart though it was no more effective that the other head on attacks had been. He would give the boy props for spirit however. It was almost a shame that he was going to have to forever snuff that flame out. The captain blocked the youths attack with the staff of his bisento before whacking him away with it.

Ace couldn't help feeling like he was just being toyed with. The man letting him get his petty attacks in before shutting him down. The teen didn't like it. If there was one thing that being a slave hadn't snuffed out of him it was his hate for others looking down on him. He wasn't weak damn it! He'd been through so much, survived so much bullshit. Ace was strong in all the ways that mattered and he couldn't- wouldn't give up here. Growling like a feral animal Ace charged the man, flames blazing high.

Whitebeard was already getting bored with this battle. He believed he'd shown the brat just how weak and foolish he was to try to provoke his anger. Meaning to end it, he swung his blade at the teen, coating it with haki, as he knew the boy was a logia user. However, he hadn't expected the sudden clanging and his blade being forced to stop.

"When that idiot, Garp asked me to come warn you he never mentioned that you were suicidal," a refined voice drawled. Both Whitebeard and Ace immediately knew that voice.

"Why are you here interfering, Mihawk?" Whitebeard asked; voice aggravated because surely this man wasn't here to save this brat who had slaughter a whole island. Though he was curious as to why Garp, a marine had asked him to come warn the brat. He wasn't aware that marines were in the habit of helping criminals.

"Whatever you think this boy has done I can assure you he hasn't," the warlord said, addressing the pirate captain now. Ace himself was too stunned to say anything as the man had grabbed his fire coated hand with his own and snuffed it out, leaving the teen shaken. The fact that his grandfather had sent him was messing him up even more. It made the situation he'd stumbled upon all the more suspicious. "This boy wasn't even close to this island when the attack was reported."

"How would you know that, yoi?" Marco who was as irked as his captain demanded to know, the steal in his voice causing the dark haired youth farther distress. He wanted to ask what report Mihawk was even talking about.

"Do you really believe one child could really do all of this?" the warlord asked, brow raised and already tired of dealing with this whole situation. If not for it being an order from a vice admiral and then of course the whining he'd received from a certain redhead as well he wouldn't be wasting his time here trying to save a brat who clearly had a death wish. "Just look at him."

Of course, Marco and the rest of them really took Ace's appearance in then. The teen was barely standing on his own two feet, body frozen with a terrified glint in his eyes though he was clearly trying to cover it over with a look of defiance. It wasn't the look of a rookie pirate who had wiped out an island so that he could challenge the world's strongest man. However, he had clearly been up for the challenge when presented with it. He didn't have the look of a killer though.

Satisfied that they were starting to see that report had been faked, Hawkeye lowered his black sword before sheathing it on his back once more. The haki coating his hand receded as well, Ace too catatonic to turn to fire at that point. He was likely overwhelmed by the amount of haki being displayed around him.

"Why the false report then? It doesn't seem like it would benefit anyone to make it," Whitebeard questioned, clearly unsatisfied with the unknown hanging in the air.

Mihawk knew of course what Shanks' theory on the whole thing was. However, without any type of confirmation from Ace he wasn't sure if that was really the case. Although the boy's behavior when presented with violence was quite telling in itself.

"I do not believe this is a matter that should be discussed out in the open," the warlord said finally. It was hard to tell who was listening after all. "I also believe you should find a way to speak with Garp yourself."

Whitebeard hummed in agreement, lowering his own weapon now and looking thoughtful. They could speak on his ship while his sons came and tended to the dead, they deserved a proper burial at the very least.

Ace's mind on the other hand was racing with possibilities of just what the hell was going on and none of them were looking to be in his favor. Before he could do or say anything that familiar feeling started prickling at the back of his mind, emotionally and physically exhausted as he was. It was so hard to fight it and in the end, he decided to just let it happen if only to escape the situation for the moment. It only took seconds after giving in to the feeling for sleep to overtake him. He felt someone, probably Mihawk, his mind supplied; catch him before he actually hit the ground.

* * *

Despite the teen's thoughts before passing out it was actually Thatch who had been quick enough to realize the boy was going to faint and therefore managed to rush forward and catch him. He wasn't sure why he had other than maybe feeling guilty for assuming him to be a murder.

Mihawk sighed, he's been wondering how much longer the kid was going to keep going. It couldn't have happened at a better time though, he doubted even he would be able to coax the fiery brat onto a perceived enemies ship for a chat. It was going to be bad enough to tell the boy he now had a rather sizeable bounty on his head for something he hadn't even been involved in. It had the warlord wondering just what the government was playing at.

"Thatch you should take him to the infirmary," Whitebeard decided, before turning his attention back to the warlord. "Come along, I wish to know what you believe to be going on here."

Thatch and Marco headed back to the ship with Ace, so they could get the boy to medical while their pops and Mihawk went to the meeting room to speak of what was really going on there. The rest of the commanders stayed behind on the island to tend to the dead villagers. On their way, Marco had sent more men, whomever he passed by really to help. Once his brother had the brat in the medical bay, he flew himself over to the kid's ship to take a look around himself so he could get a feel for the kid. He could already tell that they were in for a hell of a ride with that one.

* * *

AN: So there's the 5th chapter. I hope it was alright. Anyway I never expected this idea to really get this far so I've already run out of things that i'd planned out in advance I'm going to be working on making more notes for the future chapters however so rest assured that there will be more. Also to those wondering if Ace will find love, I'm not really planning to pair him with anyone in this. While I know he deserves love after everything he's been though I feel that he's just had too much long term past trauma for a romantic relationship right now. so any love he gets will be completely platonic. Perhaps a few years down the road he may have recovered enough for something like that but it's not in his immediate future. I hope that doesn't put anyone off and I promise that things will start to look up for him soon.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Only Part of the Truth

Deep in Marineford a certain Vice-Admiral was cursing himself for not thinking that far ahead, for not realizing that Sengoku would have the transponder snail he'd given to Ace tapped while the boy had been getting ready for his departure. Of course the Fleet Admiral knew now that Luffy was forever out of his reach, something Garp wasn't sorry for yet him finding out had been the nail in Ace's coffin so to speak. That single act of making sure that his little brother would be safe had been like a declaration that the teen wouldn't be doing the task assigned to him to earn his freedom back. Of course Ace still meant to go through with it and Sengoku was well aware of that fact as Ace had placed a call moments later to work out the details of how he planned to get the sea emperor within reach.

Sengoku had ordered a buster call to be carried out against the island Ace had decided on. Of course Garp had been kept in the dark of that plan until the bounty poster and news reached the morning editions. He couldn't call his grandson to warn him without Sengoku finding out so he had done the next best thing. He'd contacted that grandson stealing bastard; Shanks. Through him he'd gotten a hold of Hawkeye Mihawk and all but demanded he find Ace immediately and warn him of the storm that was soon coming his way. In the end it had been Shanks' nagging that had swayed the Warlord into following the order.  
Since then though, Garp hadn't heard anything. He knew Whitebeard would be on the move of course. An attack on one of his territories was like an attack on Whitebeard himself. Ace wouldn't stand a chance if met with the enraged captain now. Even before this the chances of his success had been less than slim but there had at least been a chance that the pirate captain would spare his grandson, now he wasn't so sure.

Unable to sit and do nothing, the Vice-Admiral made a choice to leave Marineford, taking his own ship and heading out. He needed to contact someone who could help Ace yet he didn't trust any of the transponder snails provided by the government. He needed a secured line and he wouldn't find that here in the heart of Navy Headquarters. Not caring one bit about orders, Garp had left the island and headed out with his ship and crew, men he knew to be loyal to him despite the many questionable interactions he'd had with pirates and the like in the past while in their presents.

The marine had traveled through the calm belt to the East Blue. He knew Shanks had just picked up Luffy not long ago. It compelled him to check in with the mayor there, make sure everything was still alright. He also needed to have a talk with that damn bandit who was suppose to be watching him. Though he couldn't fault them for letting his grandson run off with pirates considering the situation. They'd already been devastated when they weren't able to protect Ace from the government, they wouldn't let the same happen to Luffy as well.

It hadn't take him long to get to Dawn Island. By the time he reached it Garp was certain that Ace had arrived at his own destination and perhaps already encountered Whitebeard. He hoped Mihawk was fast enough to reach him before it came to that, however he wasn't fool enough to believe that would be the case. He had to push those thoughts aside for now though. He could only hope for the best and believe that his grandson would fight his way out of a bad situation should one arise.

Meanwhile after having checked in with Dadan and her bandits, he'd made his way into the village of Fushia and spoken to the mayor and Makino who was more than happy to let him use the transponder snail at her bar to make his call. It wasn't often that the marine contacted his son. Dragon was the worlds most wanted man, leader of the revolutionary army and likely the only one aside from Whitebeard who could protect Ace. He still had hope that the old pirate would want to help his grandson but he couldn't reply wholly on that. Not with the government pinning that buster call on Ace and putting a bounty on his head. Dialing the number he waited for the brat to pick up.

"There had better be a good reason for calling me-"

"I may need your help protecting Ace," Garp spoke immediately, cutting his son off, not having time for their usual banter for once. "I'm sure you saw it in the paper."

"I'm listening," came the short reply. Sighing Garp started to explain the situation to his son in hopes that the revolutionary would be willing to help should Ace need it.

* * *

Marco hadn't found much when he'd gone to check out the fire brat's ship. Just the basic supplies that were needed to get by. His lounge post hadn't even synced with the island's magnetic field yet, proof that Ace hadn't been on the island when the attack happened as the warlord had said. The teen's belongings were also few and Marco had left them there, not wanting to presume that Pops was going to recruit him like he so often did. No, he wouldn't take that choice away from him. He was clearly already having a lot of trouble of his own, though the first division commander was certain that they could help the kid a lot better than he could help himself. The situation still had too many unknowns however so right now that wasn't an option just yet.

Someone had gone to the trouble of making a false report, knowing well that Whitebeard wouldn't stand for that kind of attack on one of his territories. Someone clearly wanted this kid dead and they'd have succeeded if Garp hadn't ordered the warlord to come warn him. Leaving everything as he found it, the phoenix returned to the Moby Dick not wanting to miss that chat Mihawk was going to have with pops.  
Everyone was already taking care of the island when he got back. The ones who weren't were hanging around deck, keeping watch for marine ships and the like. The rest of the division commanders were already in the meeting room with Pops and Mihawk so Marco had gone there immediately upon returning to the Moby Dick.

It seems they had waited for him to come back, likely to tell them his findings on Ace's ship. Walking in the first division commander took his usual seat and waited for Whitebeard to gesture for him to speak before actually doing so.

"It's as Hawkeye said, yoi. His lounge post isn't even ready for the next island, he couldn't have been here when the attack took place," Marco confirmed. He could see the immediate looks of distress going around the room. All of his brothers of course were feeling a bit of guilt for going after the kid now. "Someone went though a lot of trouble to frame him, yoi."

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku it would seem," Mihawk said, taking that as his opening to start giving the information he knew. "I do not have all of the details however from what I've gathered there was a buster call on this island and the Marines are placing the blame on the boy."

"Why? I know the marines are horrible but even this is…" Thatch couldn't seem to find the words to describe what it was.

"I'm not one for gossip," the warlord said pointedly before sighing, knowing that he was going to have to tell what he knew at the very least. "I did however happen to meet the boy once over a month ago. He was seeking out Red-Haired Shanks to protect his younger brother. I'm not sure of all the details of that. However I do believe that the Marines were holding the younger brother's well being over his head for leverage. You'd be better off contacting Garp the Fist, as I highly doubt the boy will tell you willingly."

Whitebeard had a troubled look upon his face at the information he'd just taken in. It seemed like a lot of trouble just to turn him against one boy. He of course wondered just what kind of trouble this kid; Ace was in. He was going to have to contact Garp himself, that much was clear. Even then the old Marine was never all that forth coming with information. Before he could say anything else on the matter however the meeting was interrupted.

"Ace is gone!" a member of the third division shouted as he barged into the meeting room hours after they'd returned from the island.

Most of the pirates inside turned their attention to the man with varying amounts of shock and surprise on their faces. When they'd left the boy in the infirmary the nurse had predicted that he'd be out cold well into the next morning. It seemed the kid had a habit of doing what was least expected. The only ones who didn't seem all that surprised were Mihawk and Whitebeard himself.

"It's a large ship, yoi," Marco said, taking charge of the situation. "Grab some people from each division and start searching for him. If he's still on board we'll find him."

"If he's still on board?" Thatch asked then, raising a brow at his brother and friend.

"If everything Mihawk said is to be believed it wouldn't be unreasonable to think he's gotten out of here at the first opportunity. In his eyes we're still the enemy, yoi."

"Yes sir!" the man said before running off to get a search party together to check of the whole area for the brat. If they didn't fine him there they would wait for their pops to decide weather to leave him be or search the island for him.

Mihawk had a troubled look then. He knew Shanks' theory about the boy. He knew that he was likely told to kill Newgate to earn his freedom if that was indeed the case. The boy wouldn't give up on that mission so soon. Especially when he had yet to discover his new bounty poster and the implications that went along with that. Unless he were to gain a Warlord status now, he would never have the true freedom he sought and the government wasn't about to offer that to someone they'd gone to such lengths to get killed. He didn't share the thought though, this was beyond what Garp has asked him to do. He would leave the problem in the sea emperor's hands now.

"I've lingered too long myself so I shall get going before I'm accused of conspiring if you all," the warlord said then, standing from his seat and give the captain a respectful nod.

"Yes, that's probably for the best. Thank you for the information," Whitebeard told him, his own thoughtful look back in place. Mihawk took his leave then letting the Whitebeard pirates work out what to do next on their own. He'd done what he was ordered to and then some. He needed to let Shanks and Garp know that he'd managed to stop Ace's immediate death for now anyway.

* * *

 _Ace felt disgusting. There was no other way to describe it. He sat in his "room" covered in nothing but a thin sheet, body shivering uncontrollably. Ace couldn't tell if it was from the cold or the aftershocks of what had just been done to him. Sengoku hadn't said anything to him afterwards as he pulled his pants back on and left. The teen was sure that was better because he refused to cry over this and any words that sick man would have said surely would have pushed the teen over that edge._

 _His skin felt like it was crawling and he wanted nothing more than to burn it all off. Even then… It wouldn't help, he would never feel clean again, he already knew. Blunt nails scraped over his bare legs absently until slowly it grew more intense, leaving a dull throbbing in its wake. It was something to make him feel. To know he was still there and not just empty inside._

 _'I can get through this… I'm strong, I won't break…' the teen repeated in his head like a mantra. It was all he had to keep himself from shutting down and if the boy flinched when Sengoku returned hours later with a sadistic grin on his face as he asked Ace if he was ready for another lesson… well no one else really needed to know._

* * *

Ace sat up gasping for air, cold sweat once again covering his body in a thin sheet. Completely disoriented Ace looked around frantically trying to take in his surroundings and make sense of where he was but nothing looked familiar. Panic began to set in, causing his breaths to speed up and low beeping to that he hadn't been paying attention to before to become quicker, louder. Looking down at himself he saw wires connected to his chest and an IV line. More than a little freaked out because the infirmary had never meant anything good for him in the past, Ace yanked all the wires and tubes from his body before rolling out of bed and stumbling a few steps before getting his footing.

Slowly his memory began to return. The island. Death. Whitebeard. He remembered fighting and Mihawk showing up to stop it, to save him? No, he'd come to warn Ace. On Garp's orders no less. It made no sense to the teen at all. What had happened on that island and how was he involved? His mind was racing with those thoughts and he could think of nothing else besides that he needed to get away, needed to regroup and figure out what he was going to do now. It was clear that he couldn't win against Whitebeard in a head on fight. He couldn't just give in though could he? No. His freedom was still on the line here. Even if Luffy was safe with Shanks, Ace still needed to break his own chains if he ever wanted to truly live.

Quietly the teen snuck out of the infirmary while it was devoid of any doctors or nurses. He wasn't sure where he was going to go or how to even get around on an unfamiliar ship but for now Ace just felt like he needed to get moving. Slowly he moved down a long hall, trying to keep his steps quiet, another thing that his years as a slave had thought him. He hated to think about it like that however.  
Suddenly the raven haired teen heard talking in the distance as well as footsteps getting louder. Frantically he looked around for somewhere to hide. There wasn't much in that hallway but Ace spotted a door. Unknowing of what was behind it but deciding to take his chances, he opened it silently to reveal a dark stairwell leading down. Shutting the door softly behind himself the teen started his descent planning to take refuge down there until he could figure out what he was going to do next.

Once he reached the bottom the teen realized that it was just a cargo area in the hull. It wasn't very bright but Ace created a small flame in the palm of his hand and found himself a place to hide between a couple of crates. Once settled, Ace snuffed out his fire a breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't out of danger, not by a long shot but it would probably take them a while to find him, if they did before he managed to sneak away that is. Before he could think on it again Ace's eyes suddenly felt heavy once more and he could no longer keep them open. He just hoped he'd be safe for now, not that he could even remember what safe felt like anymore. He couldn't dwell on it however as the blackness once more crept into his vision, taking him under weather he liked it or not. Ace didn't fight it, just letting go of consciousness once more.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Wheels in Motion

They'd looked all over the ship for Ace but turned up nothing. They'd wondered for a while if he'd left and gone back to his own ship, however when the person they'd sent to check also came back empty they started to worry. The kid was injured and probably scared at what was going on. It was Thatch who'd asked if anyone had thought to check the hull. The door being in the same hall as the infirmary. Well it turned out no one had indeed thought to look there so the fourth division commander had gone to check himself, not wanting to bring a large group to search incase Ace was down there. They didn't need to spook the kid into setting fire to anything down there.

Taking a single light, Thatch search the hull for Ace, making sure to check the areas between crates. He was sure the other would probably wedge himself into a tight space as a means of hiding himself. It pained the fourth division commander that they'd believed the reports and had gone after Ace without finding out the facts first. It wasn't the first time the government had lied about something like this after all. However with one of their territories wiped out, people that they'd all genuinely cared for, none of them had been able to go in with a level head. Not even their pops had been able to. So it was no surprise that the kids first instinct was to run and hide upon waking up on an unfamiliar ship.

It didn't Thatch long to find him once he started looking in the right place. Like he's expected, Ace had passed out between two crates, clearly trying to make himself unnoticeable. A fond smile tugged at the cook's lips but he pushed it down for now. He needed to get the kid moved back to infirmary and he sure as hell didn't know if moving him was going to wake him. Sighing he put his light away, able to see well enough in the dark and knowing the lay out of the hull like the back of his hand since he organized most of it. Cautiously he stepped between the crates and took Ace's arm in his hand. When he didn't wake immediately Thatch took it as a good sign and hefted the teen up over his shoulder and carried him back out and up to the main part of the ship.

Marco was waiting by the door when Thatch came up. He looked relived to see that the fourth division commander had their run away with him. They'd really started to fear something like the kid falling into the ocean without anyone noticing or something of the like when they'd been unable to find him.

"Just get him back in bed, yoi," Marco told him, opening the infirmary door for him to walk through. "I'm gonna sit with him till he wakes so we don't have this problem again."

It was pretty obvious that leaving the fire user to wake up alone had not been the best call. They didn't think he was going to wake till well into the next day but they should have had someone sitting with him just in case, clearly. Mihawk had went on his way just a little while ago. He couldn't stay longer since it would look suspicious to the marines. Hawkeye had no intention of losing his Warlord title over something like this and they couldn't fault him for that. The Whitebeard's were just happy for the information he'd been able to provide to them. Now they needed to get some answers from Garp or possibly Ace once he woke up. Though they didn't see the boy being very forth coming with information.

Once Ace was in a bed they decided against rehooking him to the IV lines. He was going to be freaked out enough, waking in a place he didn't fall asleep in for the second time in a row. Thatch left Marco to watch over the kids, saying he was going to start preparing dinner. Marco knew he was worried over the kid. He probably felt too light to the cook because Thatch knew well that the other fourth division members were very likely already cooking right now. Marco didn't call his brother on it though, just let him rush off to cook up a storm since the first division commander had worries of his own.

"Just what do they have one you, yoi…" Marco mused aloud as he took a seat in the chair by Ace's bedside, settling in while he waited for the teen to wake once more.

* * *

By the time Garp hung with his Dragon, a representative for the Revolutionary Army was being sent Whitebeard and Ace's current locations. Of course it wasn't likely that they'd make it before either or both took off but Garp was sure whoever his son was sending would be able to find them. Now he sat at the bar with a worried Makino wiping down the counter as they waited for a call to come in from the Warlord. They could only hope that it wouldn't be devastating news. Not for the first time in his life, Garp questioned his willingness to stay with the marines. In the end he knew he couldn't leave. No one would have been there to protect Ace if he had left back then and even now with them gunning for his grandson's death, Garp was the only one in a position where he could get a heads up before something happened/ Ace was going to need that in the future if he was going to survive. So while it pained him greatly to stay loyal to the very bastards who hurt his family without reason or cause, he had to stay if only to give Ace an advantage.

"Who is Dragon sending?" Makino asked, voice low so none of the few patrons would hear her.

"His chief of staff, wouldn't give me a name of course for obvious reasons but at least he's taking me seriously if that brat is sending his second in command."

The bar maid nodded her head in agreement. "Do you think Ace will accept their help?"

That was the biggest question wasn't it? Weather or not his idiot grandson would accept help or continue to try doing things his way. Luffy was for better or worse, out of danger for the time being. Ace was now a wanted man. There was no way Sengoku ever planned to grant him his freedom. Garp had once thought him an honorable man. That illusion was broken years ago when he turned a thirteen year old boy into his personal slave. Still part of him wanted to hope that the old coot would keep his word and let Ace be free.

"Let's just hope once he hears the about his new bounty he'll be more receptive to taking help," Garp said with a hopeful sigh.

Before Makino could say anything the snail behind the bar began to ring once more. Garp was sure it was Mihawk and asked the young women to hand it over. She did so without delay and stepped back so he could talk a little more privately.

"Garp," the regal voice said over the line.

"Did you make it in time?" were the first words out of the vice-admiral's mouth.

"Yes."

With that one word, Garp felt like a huge weight was lifted from his chest.

Once Dragon listened to the full situation he couldn't say he was really surprised that the government would do something like this. He knew well of Ace's heritage and why the Navy and world government would want him. The revolutionary was more surprised over the fact that his father had reached out to him for help. That alone told him how serious the situation had become. He was relived to know that Ace had taken measures to get his own son; Luffy out of danger and for that he was grateful.

With those thoughts in mind, Dragon called in his chief of staff and second in command into his office to fill him in on the situation and how he wished him to go and extend a helping hand to Ace.

Dialing the number he waited for someone to pick up on the other end.

"Hello?"

"Koala? Where's Sabo?" he asked with a sign. He should have known.

"One moment, Dragon-san!" she said, before the line became muffled. He could hear a lot of cursing and yelling and could only rub his temple in resignation.

"Sabo speaking," finally came over the line after several minutes.

"Sabo, I want you to head out as soon as possible. To meet up with Edward Newgate," Dragon told him, already jotting a note of their current known location to pass along to the boy.

"Whitebeard? Why so suddenly?"

"I'm sure you saw the latest report in the paper about a boy destroying an island. Well it was a government cover up. I can't give you all the details right now but my father has asked me to extend a helping hand to him since he can no longer protect him with his own Marine status," it was more that Dragon wanted to say but it wasn't an unknown to any of his men that his father was a marine vice-admiral. Sabo should understand the gravity of the situation though.

It wasn't only that that prompted him to send his second in command however. The boy had amnesia when he'd woken in their infirmary years ago. The boy Garp wanted them to help was also from Dawn Island. There was a chance that they'd meet when they'd been children, a chance it could jog Sabo's own memories. It seemed like it was worth a shot to send him instead of another lower ranking member.

"I see. I do remember seeing something about it," the blonde said after a few moments. "He was really framed? Why?"

"I can't tell you that right now but yes it was a buster call and they're pinning it on him," Dragon clarified. "Come see me and I'll give you more information that I'd rather not say over the line."

"I'll be right there," Sabo told him before hanging up.

Content with getting things in motion, the revolutionary sat back in his chair, wondering just what they were getting themselves into this time.

* * *

Ace didn't wake at all that night and Whitebeard decided that they couldn't keep lingering around the island. There was too high of a chance that the marines would come by to see how things had played out. Instead they tied Ace's ship to tow behind their own until the kid woke and decided what it was he wanted to do. Marco and Thatch had been taking turns sitting with him in the infirmary, not wanting him to wake up alone again. They'd also decided to leave a copy of Ace's new wanted poster on the night stand because the sooner he knew the better.

They were well into the following day by the time Ace started to wake again. Consciousness was slow coming. Little whimpers escaped him as his eye lids twitched and slowly fluttering open. Light assaulted his vision causing the teen to recoil slightly.

"Easy now, yoi. You're safe," an unfamiliar voice whispered to his left, causing Ace's anxiety to raise as his eyes snapped open and he looked around frantically trying to figure out where he was.

"No, calm down, Ace," the voice said again.

Ace turned his head towards the voice. He recognized that man, vaguely. The teen knew he was one of the men on Whitebeard's crew. First division commander maybe? It all seemed a little fuzzy. What he did know was that someone moved him again because this is not where he fell asleep. He sat up, Marco immediately moving forward to get him to lay back down. He stopped short when the teen flinched away however.

"Why am I here?" Ace finally asked after forcing his racing heart to calm down. He swallowed down the panic like he's been teaching himself to do for weeks now. He knew he should have left the ship as soon as possible but he wasn't planning to be found before he woke on his own either. There was no point in worrying over it now through.

Marco sat back down slowly so not to spook him again before gesturing to the wanted poster sitting on the night stand. While the teen turned his attention to that, the first division commander went on to explain the situation.

"There was a report a few days about that a Portgas D. Ace had destroyed one of our territories. Naturally we came to check the situation out and found you there looking pretty guilty I might add, yoi." When Ace didn't offer up a comment, Marco went on. "After you passed out Mihawk explained that Garp had sent him to warn you. He didn't say what your connection is with him though and I've gotta admit, we're all curious, yoi."

Ace didn't answer immediately. He was too busy having an internal panic attack over the wanted poster that rested in his hands. Why? He knew that Sengoku wasn't an honorable man but this was too much. Why would he offer Ace this chance at freedom without even letting him try first? Did he really think he would fail from the start… yes he probably did. Still, to offer him hope and snatch it away so cruelly. He was almost surprised that they hadn't revealed the truth about his father. Almost, because that would make the Navy look bad wouldn't it? They had him right there at their mercy and just left him go. But it wasn't for free was it? No, never for free.

"Take a deep breath and let it out nice and slow, yoi," Ace barely heard. He hadn't even notice the man move to the side of the bed, nor had he realized his own breath becoming labored and on the verge of hyperventilating. The teen his best to follow the directions and calm himself. It wouldn't be good for him to break down right here in front of strangers, ones he'd been planning to assassinate no less. Well at least their captain. Ace knew that never if Mihawk hadn't stopped the battle he'd surely have died. Even with all his grandfather's training and a strong devil fruit, Ace wasn't even remotely a match for the strongest man in the world. "Good," Marco murmured once the teen had caught control over his breathing once more.

"I-is," Ace started, his voice cracking. From emotion or lack of use he really couldn't say. He'd like to think it was the ladder though. "Is Mihawk still here?" he tried again, voice clear but barely above a whisper. Marco heard him though and shook his head looking apologetic.

"He had to leave, yoi. Didn't want the Marines to think he was conspiring with us," Marco explained. "Don't freak out but we had to get moving away from that Island too. We're towing your ship behind ours though so you can leave if you want to but I think pop's wants to talk to you first, yoi."

It was a bit surprising actually, that they were going to just let him go if he wanted to. Part of Ace wondered if it was a trick of if there was some kind of catch because he'd be fucked over pretty good in his short life already that it was hard to trust people or take things at face value. He did want to have a word with whitebeard himself though. Now that there was a bounty on his head, his suicide mission for freedom seemed pretty pointless didn't it.

He should probably apologize… maybe explain a little as to why he attacked? Was there really any need for it? Ace didn't know but in the short time he'd lived on Dawn Island he'd been taught manors and he was sure Makino would frown at him if he didn't at least do that much. Maybe he could get in touch with his grandfather too find out what the hell was going on now. Mind made up Ace lifted his head to look the first division commander in the eye with some difficulty. Years of being told to keep his head down so very hard to over come like everything else.

"When does he want to see me?" the teen asked.

"Whenever you're feeling up to it, yoi," the first division commander assured. Not wanting the boy to feel rushed. Ace just nodded in understanding, looking as tired as he had before he'd woken. Marco didn't think he got much rest, his sleeping had been a bit fitful though not enough to wake him. It still couldn't have been good. "If I go to let the cooks know you're awake are you going to run off again?"

It was said in a teasing tone but Ace could tell he was serious in his inquiry. He just nodded in confirmation, having talked enough for now. With Garp Ace didn't mind and with Shanks' because he'd needed the man to understand the danger Luffy was in but here with a stranger, Ace just didn't have the energy to continue the conversation and while he was weary, his stomach was pretty empty.

"Alright, you rest and I'll be back in a little bit, yoi."

With that the first division commander stood from his chair and made his way to the door. He paused to give Ace a backwards glance. "It's going to be okay, kid. Pop's will figure it out, you'll see, yoi."

Ace didn't have a chance to ask what he meant before the other left room, leaving Ace tired and confused. He didn't have time to dwell on it too hard before a yawn pulled from his chest and unconsciousness slowly crept up on him again. Ace didn't fight it, letting the darkness take him once more.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Correction- Wanted Only Alive

Once Marco informed Thatch that their guest had finally woken up the chief started cooking up a storm in the kitchen. The first division commander had sighed but resigned himself for taking a seat and waiting for the other to be done. He should have known the over excited chief wouldn't just make something quick and simple. By the time he'd gotten the tray and headed back to the sick bay to bring it to Ace the boy was already sound asleep. Marco wasn't really surprised. He'd been hoping for it actually. Kid looked like he needed the sleep.

Setting it down on the side table, the blonde reached over to wake him. Remembering his bad reaction earlier he stopped himself before actually touching the softly snoring teen. Instead of shaking him like he was originally going to he called out to him.

"Ace? Ace!" Marco spoke, voice strong and clear. After the second time the boy started to stir again. That brought a slight smile to the commander's face. The other wasn't so tired that he couldn't be woken like he had been over the last day or so. It'd been a little worrisome.

* * *

Ace could hear someone calling his name. Instinct forced him to wake as the voice rang clear, commanding almost but not quite. He couldn't chance it though so he forced his body into consciousness once more. Blinking an eye open he saw Marco standing by his bed for the second time that day. Seeing who it was allowed his body to relax if only slightly. Marco wasn't a threat, not yet anyway. The fire user was fairly sure that if he was than Ace would have woken up cuffed in sea stone at the very least.

Slowly he sat up, rubbed his eyes on the back of his hand as the smell of food finally hit his nose. The teen's stomach made a loud growling sound causing him to flush in embarrassment. He heard a soft chuckle that only brought more color to his cheeks though he decided not to acknowledge it.

"I brought you some food, yoi." Marco moved the tray over to Ace's lap once he was situated. Once he was sure it wasn't going to topple over and spill, the commander sat himself in the chair at Ace's bedside.

"Thank you for the meal," the teen replied, remembering his manors before digging in slowly. His stomach was getting used to the richer foods he's been eating in the past several weeks of being "free" but eating too fast still had it protesting violently. What Marco had brought him was a lot better than anything he'd been able to cook for himself. All the flavors bursting in his mouth almost brought tear to the teen's eyes. Ace knew it was a sad time he was getting emotional over food but he just couldn't help it. Everything that had been weighing on him was suddenly pressing down harder since he'd seen his wanted poster.

Marco could see the kid turning emotional and while he didn't really know exactly what was going on in his head the first division commander decided to distract him from it for both their sake. He wasn't sure how he'd handle a teenager breaking down without someone else there to handle the situation.

"Once you're done eating we can go see pops if you're feeling up to it, yoi."

Latching onto the distraction Ace nodded his head as he swallowed the food in his mouth. "Yeah, I'm feeling up to it."

What else could he really say anyway? He needed to know what was going on and to figure out what he was going to do now that his original plans had gone up in smoke. He had no doubts that Sengoku would be gunning for him. He'd have everyone looking for him. It hadn't escaped his notice that his wanted poster read 'Alive Only'. Sengoku obviously wanted his little slave boy back in one piece. Or at least in living, breathing pieces. Ace would rather die than go back. He already knew that if it came down to going back to that awful life or taking his own life which one he'd choose.

After managing to finish all the food Marco had brought him, Ace sat the tray aside and moved to get out of bed, stretching his stiff muscles as he did. There was nothing else to procrastinate with so he might as well get this meeting over with. Marco did say anything though he could tell the younger was still anxious. Couldn't really blame him, all things considered.

The walk up to the desk had been much shorter than Ace would have liked. He didn't even have time to mentally prepare himself for facing the strongest man in the world again. He was sure Whitebeard was going to want to know why the government wanted to pin something like this on him, why he'd fought instead of trying to advocate his innocents. Questions that would lead to a truth Ace wasn't ready to revile yet.

"I see you've finally woke," Whitebeard's booming voice brought the teen from his own thoughts.

"Yeah, just a little while ago," Ace replied, already feeling awkward. The tension that had been in him earlier only doubled when faced with someone much stronger than himself.

"The Warlord, 'Hawkeye' Mihawk has informed us that the news report were a mistake, or rather a set up, I don't suppose you'd like to shed some light on why that might be, brat?" Newgate said, getting right to the point.

Three years ago the teen might have let a snappy retort slip out just to spite him. The person he was now though was too scared to do such a thing. The lesson had been beat into him too many times to simply forget. And while he knew deep in his heart that, that wouldn't happen here, his body and mind did not recognize that truth. Instead he skirted around the subject with half truths in hopes of appeasing the man.

"Fleet admiral Sengoku is gunning for me it seems," he said with as much confidence as he could manage in this situation. He was good at faking confidence in the face of danger after all. It was what got him through most of the hard times. "He was holding my brother's safety over my head if I didn't do something for him. I took precautions to make sure he was safe should I fail to deliver on it. I guess Sengoku found out and that was his retaliation to make sure I didn't go free."

Whitebeard just stared at him, like he was looking straight into the teen's soul, trying to find a lie. He knew Ace wasn't giving them the whole story but it matched what Mihawk had told them so for now it would suffice. Still he had to ask.

"What was it Sengoku wanted you to do for him, brat?"

Ace nearly flinched at being called that again. At least he hadn't called him boy. That would have been too much for him to handle. Too much like _him_. Swallowing hard the fire user decided to just tell him the truth on that matter. He didn't need to explain his parentage or his enslavement to tell him what Sengoku had wanted from him.

"He wanted me to kill you."

Marco who was still standing beside him stiffened at the announcement. They hadn't even thought it could be something like that. It explained why the teen had just jumped right in for a fight though.

"Gurarara, you're a 100 years too early to be thinking you can take my head and Sengoku is a fool to believe you could," Newgate laughed. Ace clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. That was just it wasn't it? Sengoku never believed he could.

"He didn't!" Ace snapped, unable to hold his anger in any longer. "He was sending me to my death and when he found out the only reason I would follow through with his suicide mission was out of his reach he made sure I wouldn't be able to back down!"

His heart was racing in his chest and his breaths were coming in pants. It'd been a long time since he'd raised his voice to such a level and by now everyone on deck had their eyes trained on him. He wasn't done yet. Oh no. The gravity of what the marines had done to make sure that one boy died was finally settling over him.

"So he destroyed a whole island of innocent people just to make sure I died too and it's my entire fault!" Ace went on, voice cracking. He could feel his emotions rising to a level they hadn't in years. Sengoku had really done that. Had killed hundreds of innocent people just to make sure one found death. Because Ace had wanted his little brother to never experience the same hell he had. He never thought Sengoku would take it so far just because Ace had taken his leverage away from him. Why hadn't he just killed Ace himself if he wanted him dead so badly? What was stopping him!?

For a moment everyone seemed stunned by the teen's outburst. Their pops being the first to recover made to reach out a comforting hand. However like his son had earlier he stopped short as Ace flinched hard, falling back a step as if expecting to be struck. Not for the first time Newgate wondered just what this child had been through. Knowing better than to ask right, he pulled his hand back, sad expression over taking his features.

"What they chose to do to force my hand or yours is not your fault, child," Whitebeard told him, his voice absolute and holding no room for doubt.

Ace clearly didn't know how to react to such assurance. Like Whitebeard never even thought of blaming him once he knew the full truth. How could that be though? If not for Ace, if not for his wanting to keep his brother out of Sengoku's reach then maybe they wouldn't have attacked that island. They'd only gone after those people because Ace was planning to go there. It was his fault, they had to see that.

"How could it not be?" the teen demanded to know. "I was planning to go there. I planned on threatening their safety to lure you out. If I hadn't been planning that then may-"

"Now you listen to me," Newgate cut him off, giving him a stern but not unkind look. "Regardless of what you were going to do, you weren't going to actually harm anyone were you?"

"Well no." Ace told him truthfully, unsure to what he was getting at.

"Then then you've nothing to feel guilty for. What happened there was a tragedy but one that's fault lays on the Navy, not a child who's just fighting for his life and the life of his brother. I could never fault someone for wanting to protect their family."

Whitebeard could see that Ace didn't believe him. He seemed to be expecting the worse and the elder pirate hoped that in time they'd be able to show him that they were sincere. Not going on about the incident any further, Newgate moved onto the next order of businesses he had with Ace.

"Aside from that, I believe it would be best to get into contact with Garp. You can do that right, brat?"

The teen nodded mutely, his mind still trying to wrap around the idea they didn't lay any of the blame on him. It made no sense to him but there was nothing he could say to make them see reason apparently.

"I can call him but I need my bag from my ship," Ace told them. He knew that trying to contact Garp's normal line would just lead to more leaks to Sengoku about what was going on and that was something he didn't need right now. Best to let them think he was dead for now. No he needed to call another number Garp had given him incase something like this ever happened. He just hoped his grandfather was still lingering around Fushia Village waiting to hear from him.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Need You Here

On the other side of the Grand Line, Shanks and the red haired pirates were making their way to fish man island so they could re-enter the new world. They'd originally planned to hang out in paradise for the next couple of years with Luffy on their ship but in light of the news Shanks couldn't just leave Ace to fend for himself. Luffy had felt the same and had been adamant that there was no way his brother would do something like that. When Garp had contacted him needing him to persuade Mihawk to check up on the boy, Shanks knew that not everything was as it seemed. It'd taken quite a bit of yelling, threatening and out right accusations to get the truth from the old Marine but he'd finally come clean about what the Navy had done. The yanko's suspicions were confirmed. Ace had been a slave. Garp wouldn't tell him why or how it had come to be but that fact alone was enough for the pirate to see red.

He'd gotten in contract with his old pal Mihawk and convinced him to go check up on Ace while he himself made their way through paradise. They needed to get to him as soon as possible. Luffy was all for the idea, not wanting to be kept away any longer. As understanding as he'd been over Ace's refusal to see him just yet, Shanks had known the younger boy wasn't happy about it.

Rayleigh had just finished coating their ship the day before and everything was stocked. They didn't waste anymore time hanging around Sabaody before heading on their way. Shank's just hoped Whitebeard wouldn't jump the gun before Hawkeye was able to reach their wayward boy.

After Marco had gone to fetch the bag from Ace's ship, the teen found himself in the Whitebeards' meeting room with the captain himself and two of the other division commanders. Haruta if he remembered correctly (their interrogation and information expert) and Thatch (the ships head chef). Ace hadn't been told why they were there aside from them not wanting to leave their captain alone with someone who'd admitted being sent to kill him. Well he could understand why Haruta was there. To collect information obviously though the teen had been assured they weren't going interrogate him. Ace was still weary regardless. Thinking on it that could be why Thatch was there. He seemed very un-intimidating. He was likely there to help calm the fire user. It did little tn the way of helping though.

Before the tension to become too much however, Marco returned with Ace's bag. He set it down on the table in front of the boy before going to take a seat himself. Apparently they were going to sit in on the conversation and fill the other commanders in later. Ace just looked nervously at the transponder snail they'd sat in front of him to use. Well he'd told them he could get a hold of Garp so there was no backing out now. He needed to let the man know he wasn't dead anyway, if Mihawk hadn't done so himself that was.

Ace reached forward, pulling his bag closer before opening it and digging though the contents for a slip of paper. Once he found the right one he slide the snail closer and began dialing the number for Makino's Party Bar. The teen found himself nervous as it rang. He hadn't spoken to Makino since he'd been taken. Did she even know his situation? Would she be the one to even answer?

"Makino's Party Bar, This is Makino speaking. What can I do you for?" the cheery voice came over the line. Well that answered one question. Ace swallowed down his emotions hard, ever aware of the eyes on him.

"Is he there?" The teen asked quietly.

"Ace? Is that really you?" the older women gasped, recognizing his voice even after so long. "Where are you?! Shanks came and took Luffy with him, said he was in danger! Garp wouldn't tell us anything and then I saw what the paper said and I just couldn't believe that you'd do such an awful thing!"

Ace felt horrible for worrying her, at least she believed he wouldn't do what the marines claimed though and that gave him a little bit of comfort. He didn't have time to get into that right now though, nor the did he want to explain such things in front of strangers.

"I can't really talk about it right now, I'm sorry… is ji-ji still there?"

The snail mirrored Makino's disapproving look. She clearly wanted to press the issue but let it go for Ace's sake or maybe because Garp was there glaring at her to hand the receiver to him.

"Ace," the usual booming voice was low for once. It wasn't that surprising. He'd been a lot more subdued when dealing with his eldest grandson than he once was, knowing how loud noises made him flinch now. Ace appreciated the effort and it was pretty clear that the pirates in the room knew his grandfather to some extent as they looked surprised at the man's tone as well. Ace had no doubt they'd eventually be able to piece together the truth about him. They weren't stupid pirates after all. He hoped he'd be long gone before that happened though. "How bad is it?"

The question was vague. Anyone besides Ace would assume he meant the teen's injuries or situation. Ace knew better. Garp wasn't asking about his physical well being right now.

"I'm a little unsteady but it's been worse. I'm not going to do anything dumb…" the fire user replied. "Mihawk said that Sengoku ordered that buster call because of-"

"This wasn't your fault," the old marine said immediately, cutting him off. Ace should have known that he'd say the same thing Whitebeard had. It didn't mean that the teen believed him anymore that he had the old pirate. "I should have known he was keeping tabs on you. This ones on me."

"How can you say that?" Ace asked, voice cracking just slightly.

"Because it's the truth. He found out about Shanks and where you were headed. He ordered that buster call because I wasn't smart enough not to use a marine line to keep in contact with you. You're not to blame for that and you've got worse things to worry about I'm afraid," Garp went on, not letting his grandson continue to agonize over it. "You're gonna have the marines and every bounty hunter in 100 miles after you soon."

"I saw… I'm not going back, ji-ji," Ace told him, his gray eyes turning steely and his voice sounding stronger than it had so far.

"Ace-"

"No, you can't ask me to." He shook his head wildly, the action mirrored by the transponder snail on the other end. His voice dropped low then. "I'll never go back to that. I can't. I'd rather d-"

"I know. I'm not asking you to," he assured, cutting him off once more. "I made a call to that no good son of mine. He's sending someone who should be able to help you. In the mean time, Newgate's right there with you am I right?"

Ace nearly forgot that they were there once he got talking. "Yeah, him and a few other commanders… Can't you just…" Ace cut himself off before making the selfish request. He couldn't bring himself to ask his grandfather to come for him. It would be like turning his back on the Navy.

"Just say it, I'm not gonna get mad," Garp told him with an unnatural amount of gentleness. The silence dragged on, no one daring to say anything as they waited with baited breath to hear what the fire user might ask.

All of them felt like they were intruding on something private and in a way Marco supposed they were. This was clearly a private conversation between family. The unspoken understanding between the two said as much. Still they had a serious situation and none of them could just give them the privacy they clearly needed. They didn't know if they could trust Ace. He clearly had connections to the marines, warlords and even another of the yanko. For all they knew the whole thing could be a rouse to infiltrate their ranks. The thought had crossed Whitebeard and several of the other commanders' minds.

"I just need you here," the teen said, finally. Before Garp could reject him, he went on. "I know I'm being selfish. You can't just drop everything for me, I get that. I know the Navy's basically your life but I just… I need my grandfather here because I don't know what to do."

"Newgate!" Garp boomed causing Ace to flinch at the noise. Seeing it on his end Garp quieted back down, giving a apologetic look. "Would you mind taking care of my grandson until I can come for him?"

Whitebeard looked pleased at the news. He knew Garp was a good man, a little too firm in his belief of justice and when he had listened to Ace writing off his own needs so not to unconvinced the old marine he'd almost been worried but that was unnecessary because Garp clearly knew the importance of family and would put it before his work. He didn't fully know what was going on but it was pretty clear that something had happened to the boy, likely at the hands of the marines. Obviously someone higher up that Garp himself otherwise he'd have been able to stop it. The signs were starting to become clearer.

"Of course he can," Whitebeard replied. He'd already been planning to offer the boy a place on his crew and if he hadn't accepted they still planned to protect him until he decided where he was going to go from there. They weren't the type to just throw someone to the wolves without cause. "He'll be perfectly safe with us. There aren't many marines dumb enough to come sniffing around let alone challenge us."

"Good, I've got some things I need to take care of first but I will come for you, Ace. Just hold on till I get there."

Ace could only look on in disbelief. He hadn't expected Garp to agree so easily or at all. Ace just needed to get it off his chest. He wasn't going to complain though, he really did want his grandfather there. He was lost at what to even do and honestly scared of what might happen now. Garp was the only familiar face he had. There was Luffy of course but the majority of him was still too ashamed to face his little brother, as stupid as it might be.

"Y-yeah, I'll be waiting…" Ace finally responded after shaking himself from his stupor.

"Good, you take care of yourself, you hear me?"

"I hear ya," the teen assured.

"Marco, why don't you take your brothers and show our new guest around the ship, wouldn't want him getting lost while he's staying with us," Newgate said, giving his eldest a meaningful look. He wanted to talk to Garp in private. There were still so many questions left unanswered but it was clear that Ace wasn't going to be up for the conversation that needed to be had here.

"Sure thing, pops," Marco said, understanding immediately. "Come on you three," he added, Gesturing for Haruta, Thatch and Ace to follow him out of the meeting room as he stood up.

Ace nodded and handed the snail receiver over to Newgate, knowing that he still wanted to continue the conversation with his grandfather. The older pirate gave him a smile and nod in appreciation.

Leaving the room, Ace trailed behind the three pirates. Haruta made some excuse about needing to do some paperwork before running off. Ace supposed he didn't need three guides anyway. It had just been an excuse to get them out of the room so Whitebeard could speak to Garp.

"Let's check out the kitchen first, we can grab a snack before looking around," Thatch suggested, still unhappy about how small the seventeen year old looked. Even though Ace had been eating better he still looked underweight. As a cook, Thatch was making it his personal mission to fix that.

"Fine by me, yoi," Marco agreed before turning to Ace.

"That's fine," the teen nodded because it wasn't like he had anywhere he wanted to start and even if he had, Ace doubted he'd of spoke up about it. He was kinda hungry anyway.

"Great, come on then," the pompadoured man cheered, leading the way. Marco gave a fond eye roll before following after the man. Ace was a little hesitant but not wanting to be caught without the two commanders, the teen hurried along after them.

Several members of crew glanced at them as they past or out right stared. It wasn't that surprising with a crew this large. Ace was a stranger here after all. The curiosity was normal though that didn't mean it made him any less anxious. It seemed all it took to deter their looks was a well placed glare from Marco however. Ace appreciated the gesture in silence. Of course there was nothing to say that the first division commander was doing it for his sake, maybe he just didn't liked being stared at himself. Something told the teen that wasn't really the case here however.

It didn't take long to reach the kitchen, apparently it wasn't really that far from the meeting room. Thatch told him that was because sometimes they had to bring meals to the meeting room if the commanders were in meetings that went on too long. It made sense Ace supposed. He'd never really heard of a pirate crew being run that way, with divisions and commanders but he guessed being a pirate in the New World was a lot harder to maintain than being a pirate in the first half of the Grand Line.

Inside the kitchen was warm and cooks were rushing around getting stuff made for supper. Thatch already seemed to know what he was planning to grab before they go there because he went straight to a cooling rack on the counter top and grabbed three of the pastries resting there.

"Made these chocolate turnovers for desert but we can snack on a few now, there's plenty," Thatch told them as he handed one to Marco who accepted it with a smirk and one to Ace who looked a bit unsure.

"Thank you," he said politely as he looked at the turn over. He'd never had one of course. They didn't live in a situation where things like this were available to them and then when he'd been taken away they of course didn't allow him things like deserts. Ace couldn't remember ever having chocolate of any kind either. The chef was giving him an encouraging look though so the teen took a small bite of the pastry.

The flavors exploded in his mouth all at once. Buttery, flaky crust and gooey chocolate rolled into one. Ace's eyes widened just a fraction in amazement at the food in his hand. Too enthralled in his meal, he didn't even notice the smug look of satisfaction on Thatch's face or the exasperated smile on Marco's. Before he knew it Ace had devoured the whole treat in several large bites reminiscent to whole his appetite used to be. Once it was gone the teen stared at his hands in mourning, wishing he'd savored it a little more.

Looking up at Thatch, for the first time since he's came to their ship, Ace asked for something. "Can I… have another one?"

Smiling wide in triumph the chef moved to grab another turnover off the cooling rack and handed it over to the teen. "Of course, no ones gonna deny you food on this ship so if you want something just ask okay?"

Ace nodded, feeling awkward but not unhappy over it. Marco just looked on with a fond smile as he slowly ate his own turnover. "Shall we get going then, yoi?"

The teen nodded in agreement, following the two older men out of the kitchen as he nibbled on his snack. Ace was going to extreme lengths to savor it this time around. Despite being lied to and the awful situation that was coming his way, the fire user couldn't help the feeling of contentment wash over him as he followed the pirates around the ship, taking in all the important rooms that he'd need to know how to find until his Grandfather or the revolutionary he'd sent; whichever came first, came for him. By the time the tour was over, Ace wasn't really in a hurry to leave anymore.

That thought didn't really set in until he was settled into the room Marco had shown him to that night. It really hit him just as he was about to drift off though. Since he'd spent time with Thatch and Marco, a few of the other commanders joining them shortly, he felt more at ease that he ever had in the last three years. For once he didn't feel the constant need to watch his back. With that thought in mind the teen drifted off into his first restful sleep in years.


End file.
